As a recent graduate, I was required to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program for one year. The NYSC is a program set up by the Nigerian government to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the development of the country. I was excited, yet nervous, to embark on this journey and contribute to my nation’s growth.
MY PREPARATION
As I began my preparations for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I arrived at the cafe to print my call-up letter. My heart was pounding with anticipation as I waited for the printer to spit out the paper that would determine my fate for the next year. At first glance, I thought I saw ‘Auchi’ on the letter, but upon closer inspection, I realized it said ‘Bauchi state.’ My heart sank.
All my life, I had never been to the northern part of Nigeria because of the news and rumors we’d been hearing in the south about bombings, killings, kidnappings, and other violence. The thought of spending a year in such a place filled me with dread. I never expected that one day I would ever go to the North, but unfortunately, NYSC had pushed me to my greatest surprise.
I returned home in a daze, trying to come to terms with this unexpected turn of events. As I began to pack my belongings, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of apprehension. I carefully folded my NYSC kits and placed them in my luggage, along with foodstuffs like milk, Bournvita, Golden Morn, and biscuits. My luggage was so full that I looked like someone who had just gotten married and was moving to my spouse’s house.
The day of departure arrived all too soon. As we set off on our 19-21 hour journey to Bauchi state, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of trepidation. What would this year hold for me? Would I be able to adapt to this new environment? Only time would tell.
MY JOURNEY
Before starting my journey to Bauchi state for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), I contacted a few friends who had also been posted there. We all arrived at the park at the same time, looking like a group of lost tourists. We exchanged greetings and introduced ourselves. It was my first time meeting these new people from different schools, all heading to Bauchi. I was chosen as the captain, which was a bit like being chosen to lead a group of lemmings off a cliff. But with God’s help, I led my group well.
By 8:30 am, we had all boarded the vehicle. We said a prayer and our journey began. I must confess, the journey was hellish. Five hours in, we were still in Benin City. We kept asking the driver where we were and he would reply, ‘Still in Benin.’ Oh my God. I was grateful for Google Maps, otherwise, I would have thought we had accidentally driven in circles.
All I could think was, ‘When are we going to reach Abuja, not to mention Bauchi State?’ I wished I could have just taken a flight, but my pocket asked me, ‘With which money?’ It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place - or in this case, between an uncomfortable bus seat and an empty wallet.
God was kind and we enjoyed the sight of nature along the way. We saw mountains and houses built on mountains - such wonderful places to live and dream of. It was like something out of a fairy tale, except for the fact that we were stuck on a bus with no air conditioning.
We saw more of the outside world but at the same time, we were praying for safety. We didn’t want to hear that something had happened. It was like being on a rollercoaster ride that you couldn’t get off - exciting but also terrifying.
Unfortunately, we didn’t arrive in Abuja until 9:00 am the next day. We debated whether to continue on to Bauchi that night or to lodge and rest in Abuja. The majority voted to stay in a hotel in Abuja and rest. Oh, what a day. It was like being given a temporary reprieve from a never-ending road trip.
The following morning, as early as 6:00 am, everyone was already prepared and ready to continue our journey to Bauchi state. We went to Zuba Park and boarded a vehicle. There, we met other NYSC fellows who looked just as dazed and confused as we did.
I personally asked the driver how long it would take us to reach Bauchi state and he said at least four hours. My goodness. It was like being told you only had four more hours of torture left.
Eventually, we started the trip. We entered Niger and enjoyed the view before entering Kaduna - one of the largest landmarks in Nigeria - where we saw different cultures. Then we entered Jos - another wide area with a big landmark - before finally entering Bauchi state.
I just asked the driver if this was the four hours he had talked about. My people, we had spent more than eight hours on the road. My whole body felt it. It was like being stuck in a never-ending game of ‘Are we there yet?’
We thought that once we got off the bus, that would be it. But the driver said no - this was just the bus stop and we had to take another bus to the NYSC camp. I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ But there was no time on our side so we entered another bus and spent another hour and 30 minutes before finally reaching Wailo NYSC camp after two days of travel."
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